The disclosure relates to an apparatus for supplying at least one consumer with electrical energy or for providing electrical power for at least one consumer.
For many applications, controlled supply of electrical energy is necessary. Particularly in the controlling of the supply to LED lights in automobiles, special requirements have to be fulfilled.
The LEDs which have to be energized are typically connected in series, less frequently in parallel, and are typically powered by a current source. This controlled current source is powered by an energy source, typically by the on-board network of an automobile.
Herein, the problem occurs that the controlling of the current source leads to a considerable power loss within in the current source circuit. This has consequences to the effect that, in monolithic integration in the form of an integrated circuit (IC), additional IC area become necessary so as not to exceed the critical temperature for the respective semiconductor. At the same time, it is possible that special measures are required for cooling within the housing of the current source.
In EP-A-2 645 818, which is a publication of a European Patent Application with a filing date before the priority day of the present PCT application and whose publication was performed only after the priority date of the present PCT application, there is described a driver circuit for serial LED circuits that is energized by an alternating voltage source (AC voltage source).
Further LED driver circuits, part of them provided with current control units, are known from EP-A-2 416 623, WO-A-2009/035948, US-A-2013/0049622 and JP-60 107372.